Eclectix Arts

Thursday, January 3, 2013

In case you haven't noticed, we are not posting much here on the Eclectix Arts blog anymore, all our features will now be found at the main mama site – Eclectix.com. We have redesigned the site, consolidating all the Eclectix art news features, artist interviews and exhibition listings into one happy home.

There are new share/follow buttons for you to keep up with Eclectix and our re-designed exhibit listing pages make it easier to find the cool shows when you are out and about – on your mobile device. Even if you are out of the country we’ve got some selected venues for you – in English, on the Arts Calendar.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

The annual spring show of the SF Academy of Art is always an interesting, varied and eclectic mix of fresh art. This year it is exhibited at The Cannery buildings, a nice large spread of artworks between floors. There is illustration, digital, architecture, book design, animation, 3d, fine art painting, sculpture, jewelry, product and graphic design, photography and you-name-it... something for everyone here, many quality pieces - student art that is better than many pieces of "established" artists. Was very difficult to get good pictures of all the pieces we liked, due to glare - so some gems had to be left out. Even still, we've uploaded a lot of wonderful works to a Flicker set, 52 of our favorite picks. Another great thing about the show - is it is open on Mondays when all the other art galleries are closed!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

“Make what you know, and be true to yourself.” Simple, but true. I had a professor at SAIC give me that advice. It didn’t really click at the time, because I was struggling to make work that was more conceptual, but once I was out of school and left to my own devices, it made perfect sense.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Aniela is currently pursuing an MFA in Painting at Syracuse University. Her works are small yet spectacular, painting dreamy and surreal scenarios. Although her portfolio is young, every piece speaks of the subtle sureness of a direction and style. Little girls ponder big thoughts and happenstance with poetic seriousness. Illustrative meets fine art in her special mixture. Some images here, have been cropped and the sphinx, (below) is “unfinished” - yet it looks beautifully finished to us! To see more works, than are on her website, check out her FB page.

Friday, March 23, 2012

On Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 8:00 am PDT, Porterhouse Fine Art Editions will be offering the following item:

"YHWH - Red, Gold and Blue Edition" are vinyl figures created in conjunction with Necessaries Toy Foundation after the central figure in Mark's painting of the same name. The figures are cast in Red, Gold and Blue vinyl with inset, high-quality eyes, and each comes in an elaborately designed, gold-embossed box. Also included is a certificate of authenticity and a special, numbered mini print.

YHWH - Red, Gold and Blue Edition figures are available individually for $200 each or as a set of all three for the discounted price of $500.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Eclectix was able to visit Distinction Gallery on a recent trip to San Diego for a benefit. Their current exhibit is titled Irresistibly Idiosyncratic and it runs through April 7th. It is a group show of three artists, a complementary mix of styles including the artists Dan Barry, Joka and Mike Bell.

Dan's work (above) featured anthropomorphic botanicals with a beautiful mixed media approach. Layers, spills and drips contrast with tight, fine pen and ink.

Joka's work (above) is all incredibly detailed pointillism, painted with just a toothpick! They are pop images with a twisted sense of humor and a snapshot feel.

Mike's work comprised many tiny, pencil portraits of pop icons, on matchbook covers. We've run across other artists who work on matchbooks - most notably Jason D'Aquino. The memorable trait of Mike's work is his great sense of personality he injects into the actual matchsticks themselves. Each portrait had the perfect gesture, feel and/or addition for the particular subject. Check out the posture of Mick's hands (above) - so perfect!

(There is a lot more to Distinction Gallery which Eclectix will cover in a future post.)

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Judith Schaechter’s killer new series, The Battle of Carnival and Lent, are being exhibited at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA. It consists of 17 stained glass windows - inspired by the prison’s dark past and installed in historic skylights throughout Cellblocks 8, 11, and 14.

The Battle of Carnival and Lent responds to the penitentiary’s narrow skylights and arched windows. The imagery, which Ms. Schaechter describes as “addressing in a non-religious way the psychological border territory between ‘spiritual aspiration’ and human suffering,” is evocative of theology but secular in purpose. The figures depicted are literally confined by the unnaturally tall and skinny apertures of the window frames – squished, cropped, straining, and reaching – as a representation of the types of incarceration that are basic to the human experience. Ms. Schaechter balances them with more traditional, cathedral-esque stained glass windows. Her intention is to draw an association between the prison’s original purpose – to provide an environment conducive to self-reflection and, ultimately, penance – and the harsh realities of solitary confinement.

Ms. Schaechter’s past work has almost entirely been installed in museums and galleries as panels over lightboxes. The Battle of Carnival and Lent is unique for both its response to a specific environment as well as for its use of full-spectrum light to illuminate the windows.

Ms. Schaechter is often asked which architectural setting she sees as ideal for her work, and her response is always the same… Eastern State Penitentiary. Explains Ms. Schaechter, “ESP is precious to me. It’s my hometown. It’s my place.”

The installation will be on view from April 1st through November 30, 2012, with a reception on May 11th. We sure wish we go!